Date: Saturday 28th November, 2009
Competition: FA Cup second round
Weather at kick-off: sunny, cold
Goals:
United: Tonkin 83'
York: Rankine 37', Brodie 40' (pen)
A young U's side dominated almost the whole game but York's goals on the break left United with too much to do, and Anthony Tonkin's stunning first goal for the club was a mere consolation.
Martin Ling made the anticipated four changes to the team that drew at home to Rushden on Tuesday, calling up Sam Ives and Rory McAuley in place of suspended pair Paul Carden and Jai Reason, and recalling Robbie Willmott and Anthony Tonkin, who were suspended on Tuesday, in place of Andy Parkinson and Darryl Coakley.
With seven places available on the bench for an FA Cup tie, the substitutes bench included midfielder Ben Farrell for the first time and exciting teenage pair Adam Marriott and Jordan Patrick.
York boss Martin Foyle made one change, recalling 16-goal top scorer Richard Brodie following suspension in place of former U Michael Gash.
With the South Stand two-thirds full of colourful and noisy York fans, the atmosphere in the ground was noisy and both sides started at a high tempo and looked to exploit the pace of their respective leading scorers.
Although Brodie and Holroyd were quickly closed down after finding space in the opening moments, United enjoyed good early pressure and Robbie Willmott had a shot charged down, Courtney Pitt's free kick was hacked away, and in the fourth minute Danny Crow cleverly backheeled the ball to Tonkin whose cross was met by Holroyd as he got between two defenders and headed inches wide.
United threatened again on 13 when Rory McAuley flicked the ball on to Dan Gleeson at the far post and his shot was blocked by Lawless for a corner, which Saah nodded wide, and Mr Rushton halted play briefly to defuse a bad-tempered clash between U's skipper Wayne Hatswell and Brodie.
With the action switching quickly from end to end, a quick break by York saw Brodie charge through but the final ball let him down and was cut out by Gleeson, Parslow's cross was snatched by Danny Potter, and then Crow darted onto a through ball but couldn't direct his header.
York's front two were dangerous on the break but the chances continued to fall to United. Willmott tried to release Sam Ives but the pass was just too far in front of him and Michael Ingham was out quickly to collect the ball, then moments later the ball came off former U's loanee James Meredith and ran nicely for Willmott, whose cross was blocked behind by the recovering defender.
United went closest yet to scoring on 22 when Pitt's resulting flagkick was headed across the goalmouth and Holroyd's shot on the rebound was hacked away off the line, and another golden chance arrived five minutes later when Willmott kept the ball in by the touchline and Pitt's great cross was met by Holroyd, who got a toe to the ball but it spun over the bar.
With United on top but still lacking the vital breakthrough goal, the hard-working Crow drove a shot across the face of goal on 31 and at the other end Brodie drew a comfortable save from Potter from 20 yards.
Willmott had a corner blocked on 35 and two minutes later, very much against the run of play and possession, the game turned on its head. First a goal out of the blue as Michael Rankine turned away from Gleeson and thundered an excellent shot past Potter from 25 yards.
Then two minutes later they doubled their lead on the break. Brodie outpaced Willmott down the left, and as they reached the edge of the the area he turned into Willmott and went down, then got up to roll a cool left-footed penalty past Potter.
The crowd on three sides of the ground was stunned almost into silence and the busy Pitt tried to lift United with a couple of strong runs and crosses, the first cleared by McGurk and the second caught by Ingham just before the half-time whistle.
Half-time summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"United's cup hopes are hanging by a thread as for the third consecutive match they find themselves two goals down, but that's not the real story. The story is United were on top until York scored but that's little consolation - once again they've got it all to do."
Second half:
United resumed at pace as both Pitt and Willmott tested the York defence with crosses from wide but McGurk led the resistance, then on 51 Crow made an alert run to meet the ball and turned on the edge area to unleash a shot that was blocked behind and a corner cleared by Parslow.
With the U's attacking the Newmarket Road end and building up another head of steam, Pitt had a free kick cleared and Dan Gleeson got forward to earn another corner, then Willmott teed up Ives for a volley that flew just wide from 25 yards.
On 56 Pitt's shot seemed to hit Parslow's hand but penalty appeals were waved away, Gleeson's cross a minute later was clutched by the safe hands of Ingham, and on 63 Pitt's low cross caused problems and was diverted behind. Willmott's corner was half-cleared to McAuley who couldn't make the right contact and the ball was lifted back in by Pitt whose cross was saved by Ingham
Five minutes later Willmott's fizzing free kick was fumbled by Ingham and ran to Ives whose shot spun off Meredith's legs and away for a corner. Pitt's low flagkick evaded York's tall defenders but McAuley's shot was blocked at far post, and from the resulting corner the ball eventually fell to McAuley who headed wide.
It was still all United and a succession of corners were followed by Pitt's curling shot that stung Ingham's hands on 70 and bounced in front of Crow, but the York keeper was able to snatch the ball at the second attempt. Moments later Willmott ran from halfway, beating three men as he cut inside and then chipped the ball over the keeper but narrowly over the bar.
The first booking came on 74 when Hatswell clattered into Brodie and was booked for the fifth time this season and will miss Tuesday's match at home to Chester through automatic suspension.
As desperation started to creep in against York's giant and well-drilled defence, McAuley lifted a shot over the bar from 25 yards and Tonkin planted a volley into the sidenetting, and with ten minutes remaining it appeared that York would score again on the break.
The offside flag stayed down as Brodie got away from Gleeson and rounded Potter but he rolled the ball inches wide with the goal at his mercy, and with ten minutes remaining teenage striker Adam Marriott replaced Sam Ives, who left the pitch to a standing ovation after an impressive first senior start.
Tonkin had a cross cleared for a corner and as United kept the pressure on a goal came from the most unlikely source with seven minutes remaining. Anthony Tonkin met a clearance fully 30 yards out and thundered a half-volley that hit the inside of the far post and went in off the opposite post for his first U's goal and only the third of his career.
Two bookings followed immediately as Holroyd was blocked by Ingham as he tried to get the ball out of the net and both men were booked for their tangle in the goalmouth.
The atmosphere was electric as United exerted yet more pressure, Crow and McAuley earning further corners, and at the second Willmott's flagkick was crossed in again to Holroyd whose glancing header beat the keeper but flew just over the bar.
Martin Foyle tried to take the sting out of the game by making his first substitution and sending on Michael Gash for Rankine with three minutes left, then as played entered stoppage time McAuley's shot from 20 yards out on the left was saved and Pitt cut in from the left to have a 25-yarder blocked for another corner.
The air was crackling as Danny Potter ran forward to join his team-mates and Ingham clutched Pitt's flagkick and fell into his own net, but a free kick was given against Crow for pushing.
Another York substitution saw Andy Ferrell replace Barrett as the visitors tried to endure the desperate pressure, and a final Willmott corner was claimed by the impressive Ingham as York progressed into the third round after a solid rearguard performance.
Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell (c), Anthony Tonkin; Robbie Willmott, Rory McAuley, Sam Ives (Adam Marriott 80'), Courtney Pitt; Chris Holroyd, Danny Crow.
Subs not used: Laurie Walker, Josh Coulson, Andy Parkinson, Ben Farrell, Darryl Coakley, Jordan Patrick.
Booked: Hatswell 74' (foul), Holroyd 83' (unsporting behaviour)
York City:
Michael Ingham, Danny Parslow (c), David McGurk, Luke Graham, James Meredith; Alex Lawless, Neil Barrett (Andy Ferrell 90'), Levi Mackin, Chris Carruthers; Michael Rankine (Michael Gash 87'), Richard Brodie.
Subs not used: Josh Mimms, Adam Smith, Kevin Gall, Tyrone Berry, Andy McWilliams.
Booked: Ingham 83' (unsporting behaviour)
Referee: Mr Steve Rushton
Attendance: 3,055 (799)
Post-match summary by commentator Mark Johnson:
"United are out of the cup but they bowed out with pride after one of their best performances of the season. Once again they handed the visitors a two-goal lead, but unlike the previous two matches the deficit was ill-deserved. United were on top until Michael Rankine scored a thunderbolt eight minutes before the break and it got worse when Richard Brodie tucked away a penalty three minutes later. The second half saw United almost constantly on the attack and when Anthony Tonkin smote one in off both posts from long-range seven minutes from the end another great fight-back looked possible. But time ran out and so did United's FA Cup hopes."
Mark's Man of the Match:
"Courtney Pitt - non-stop work and effort and some telling crosses into the area. Honourable mentions for Messrs Ives and McAuley in the centre of midfield, who looked as if they had been playing there for the first team all their lives, Robbie Willmott was a threat down the right, Dan Gleeson almost kept United's cup hopes alive by sheer willpower, and Anthony Tonkin for another solid performance and what a way t open your United account."
Ref: Mr Ruston - despite pressure from the crowd towards the end, he was very solid. Didn't seem to put a foot wrong with his decisions, played advantage when possible, and made correct calls on all the key moments. 9/10."
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